Media should act responsibly: Samsam
By: Iftikhar Alam
LAHORE – State Minister for Information Syed Samsam Ali Bukhari has said that the media is free to criticise government but it should act responsibly towards state and democracy.
Presiding over a seminar on “Democratic and Ethical Imperatives – Media Responsibilities” at Hameed Nizami Press Institute of Pakistan (HNPIP) here on Saturday, he said that democracy was still a tender sapling which needed more care and maturity.
He clarified that government had not boycotted any TV channel but PPP members had been asked not to participate in a private TV channel programmes.
HNPIP, in connection with Media Democracy Day, held seminar while Prof Dr Mugheesuddin Shaikh, Salman Ghani, Farrukh Sohail, Salman Abid, and Arif Subh Khan addressed on the occasion. Director HNPIP Absar Abdul Ali introduced guest speakers and the topic.
Samsam and other speakers criticised some news recently published in media saying that these news had caused huge capital flight. The speakers were of the view that mediamen should act as responsible professionals.
The minister while responding to Farrukh (another speaker) added that he was not a radical leftist or typical rightist. “My father used to read Nawa-i-Waqt and it left impact on me,” he said. He said he was proud to be part of PPP. He indirectly criticised PML-N saying he did not believe in regional politics. “I do not believe in politics from Attock to Khanewal.” Samsam also wanted accountability of ‘factory feudalism’ as he said that everyone criticised landlords but not the ‘factories’ lords’.
Earlier, Dr Mughees, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, Punjab University, stressed the need of responsibility of media by taking all stakeholders on board – media owners, media workers and media consumers. He also added that a biased campaign was continuing against him by some mediamen. He also wanted an ombudsman at PU to check the economic and moral corruption going on at PU. “I wish there must be open inquires regarding issues going on at PU.”
Speakers delivered lecture on the topics like moral values, political economy of media.
They highlighted what should be the role of media in a society. They added that there must be culture of democracy and self-accountability in all the components of a society.
Salman Ghani said that media should act as real opposition when there was a friendly opposition everywhere. The speakers appreciated the HNPIP management for arranging such seminars.
Source: The Nation
Date:10/24/2010
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